Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-gq7q9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-17T11:06:46.579Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Emperors and Deities in Rural Britain: A Copper-Alloy Head of Marcus Aurelius from Steane, near Brackley (Northants.)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2014

Susan Walker
Susan Walker*
Affiliation:
Department of Antiquities, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxfordsusan.walker@ashmus.ox.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A half-life-sized copper-alloy head of a bearded man was published in the Portable Antiquities Scheme's report of finds from Roman Britain in 2009.1 The head was purchased by the Ashmolean Museum in 2011. In this paper evidence for the identification of the subject as a portrait of the emperor Marcus Aurelius is reviewed by comparison with metropolitan and other certainly identified heads of deities and portraits of the emperor. The technique and likely function of the head are compared with those of similarly worked Roman copper-alloy heads of emperors and deities found in South-East Britain. Finally, a brief account is given of geophysical survey and trial excavation conducted in 2012–13 in the field where the head was found. This offers a unique opportunity to explore the head's archaeological context.

Keywords

portraitcopper alloyMarcus Aureliusemperordeity
Type
Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 45 , November 2014 , pp. 223 - 242
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2014. Published by The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

With a contribution by JANE SMALLRIDGE

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aldhouse-Green, M.J. 2001: ‘Animal iconographies: metaphor, meaning and identity’, in Davies, G., Gardner, A. and Lockyear, K. (eds), TRAC 2000: Proceedings of the 10th Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference, London, Oxford, 80–93Google Scholar
Alföldi, A. 1949: ‘The bronze mace from Willingham Fen’, Journal of Roman Studies 39, 19–22 Google Scholar
Bauchhenss, G. 1997: ‘Volcanus in den Nordwestprovinzen’, LIMC VIII, 293–8Google Scholar
Bergmann, M. 1978: Marc Aurel, Liebieghaus Monographie 2, Frankfurt Google Scholar
Born, H. 1994: ‘Analytisch-technische Untersuchungen an der großen Bronzestatuette des Attis im Rheinischen Landesmuseum Trier’, Acten der 10. internationalen Tagung über antike Bronzen, Freiburg 18–22 Juli 1988, Stuttgart, 61–8Google Scholar
Braemer, F. 1969: ‘Sculptures en métal battu et repoussé de la Gaule romaine et des régions limitrophes’, Revue Archéologique, 81–102 Google Scholar
Burnouf, J. (ed.) 1990: La Lorraine antique, villes et villages. 30 ans d'archéologie, Metz Google Scholar
Craddock, P. 1985: ‘Three thousand years of copper alloys’, in England, P.A. and van Zeist, L. (eds), Application of Science in Examination of Works of Art, Boston, 59–67 Google Scholar
Davis, M., and Gwilt, A. 2008: ‘Material, style and identity in first century ad metalwork’, in Garrow, D., Gosden, C. and Hill, J. (eds), Rethinking Celtic Art, Oxford, 146–84Google Scholar
Denford, G. 1992: ‘Some exotic discoveries at Silkstead sandpit, Otterbourne, and the possible site of an ancient temple’, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club Archaeological Society 48, 27–54 Google Scholar
Draper, J. 1985: Excavations by Mr. H.P. Cooper on the Roman Site at Hill Farm, Gestingthorpe, Essex, East Anglian Archaeology 25, Chelmsford Google Scholar
Farley, M., Henig, M., and Taylor, J.W. 1988: ‘A hoard of late Roman bronze bowls and mounts from the Misbourne Valley, near Amersham, Bucks’, Britannia 19, 357–66CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fishwick, D. 1961: ‘The imperial cult in Roman Britain’, Phoenix 15, 159–73, 213–29Google Scholar
Fittschen, K., and Zanker, P. 1985: Katalog der römischen Porträts in den Kapitolinischen Museen und den anderen kommunalen Sammlungen der Stadt Rom I: Kaiser- und Prinzenbildnisse, Mainz Google Scholar
Frere, S.S. 1970: ‘Mould for bronze statuette from Gestingthorpe’, Britannia 1, 266–7 Google Scholar
Gilbert, H.M. 1978: ‘The Felmingham Hall hoard’, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 28.1, 159–87Google Scholar
Grant, M. 1946: From Imperium to Auctoritas, London Google Scholar
Green, M.J. 1976: Religions of Civilian Roman Britain, BAR 24, Oxford Google Scholar
Hatt, J.J. 1964: ‘Informations archéologiques, circonscription de Strasbourg, Hettange-Grande’, Gallia 22, 340 Google Scholar
Henig, M. 1984: Religion in Roman Britain, London Google Scholar
Henig, M. 1993: Corpus Signorum Imperii Romani Great Britain I, 7, Roman Sculpture from the Cotswold Region with Devon and Cornwall, Oxford Google Scholar
Henig, M. 1995: The Art of Roman Britain, London Google Scholar
Henig, M., and Booth, P. 2000: Roman Oxfordshire, Stroud Google Scholar
Henig, M., and Wilson, P.R. 1982: ‘A bronze figurine from Bainesse Farm, Catterick’, Antiquaries Journal 62, 370–2Google Scholar
Hughes, M.J., Cowell, M.R., and Craddock, P.T. 1976: ‘Atomic absorption spectrometry techniques in archaeology’, Archaeometry 18.1, 19–37 Google Scholar
Jackson, R., and Craddock, P. 1995: ‘The Ribchester Hoard: a descriptive and technical study’, in Raftery, B., Megaw, V. and Rigby, V. (eds), Sites and Sights of the Iron Age, Oxbow Monographs 56, Oxford, 75–102 Google Scholar
Jenkins, I.D. 1984: ‘The silvered bronze horse-trappings from Xanten (Castra Vetera)’, Britannia 16, 141–64Google Scholar
Kaufmann-Heinimann, A. 1998: Götter und Lararien aus Augusta Raurica, Forschungen in Augst 26, Augst Google Scholar
Krause, B.H. 1983: Jupiter Optimus Maximus Saturnus, Trierer Winckelmannsprogramm 5, Mainz Google Scholar
Letta, C. 1998: ‘Sol’, LIMC IV, 592–625 Google Scholar
LIMC: Ackermann, H.C., Gisler, J.-R. and Kahil, L. (eds), Lexikon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (1981–), Zurich Google Scholar
Lindgren, C. 1978: Classical Art Forms and Celtic Mutations. Figural Art in Roman Britain, Park Ridge, New Jersey Google Scholar
Lutz, M. 1991: La Moselle gallo-romaine, Sarrebourg Google Scholar
Mattingly, D.J. 2006: An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire, London Google Scholar
McCann, A.M. 1968: The Portraits of Septimius Severus (ad 193–211), Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome 30, Rome Google Scholar
Melucco Vaccaro, A., and Mura Sommella, A.M. 1989: Marco Aurelio. Storia di un monumento e del suo restauro, Milan Google Scholar
Menzel, H. 1966: Die römischen Bronzen aus Deutschland: II Trier, Mainz Google Scholar
Mitard, P.-H. 1982: ‘La tête en tôle de Genainville (Val d'Oise)’, Gallia 40, 1–35 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Naudet, F. 2004: Carte archéologique de la Gaule: L'Essonne, Paris Google Scholar
Riederer, J. 2002: ‘The use of standardised copper alloys in Roman metal technology’, in Giumlia-Mair, A. (ed.), I bronzi antichi: produzione e technologia. Atti del XV Congresso Internazionale sui bronzi antichi. Udine, 22–26 maggio 2001, Montagnac, 284–91Google Scholar
Robertson, A.S., and Hobbs, R. 2000: An Inventory of Romano-British Coin Hoards, London Google Scholar
Rostovzeff, M. 1923: ‘Commodus–Hercules in Britain’, Journal of Roman Studies 13, 91–105 Google Scholar
Salway, P. 1993: The Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain, Oxford Google Scholar
Schauerte, G. 1985: Terrakotten mütterlicher Gottheiten. Formen und Werkstätten rheinischer und gallischer Tonstatuetten der römischen Kaiserzeit, Bonn Google Scholar
Simon, E., and Bauchhenss, G. 1984: ‘Mars’, LIMC II, 505–80Google Scholar
Toynbee, J.M.C. 1962: Art in Roman Britain, London Google Scholar
Vermaseren, M.J. 1986: Corpus cultum Cybelae Attidisque 5. Aegyptus, Africa, Hispania, Gallia et Britannia, Leiden Google Scholar
Wilkes, J.J., and Elrington, C.R. (eds) 1978: A History of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, Volume 7: Roman Cambridgeshire, The Victoria History of the Counties of England, Oxford Google Scholar
Worrell, S. 2010: ‘Roman Britain in 2009 II. Finds reported under the Portable Antquities Scheme’, Britannia 41, 409–39Google Scholar
Zwierlein-Diehl, E. 1973: Die antiken Gemmen des Kunsthistorisches Museum in Wien I: Die Gemmen von der minoischen Zeit bis zur frühen römischen Kaiserzeit, Munich Google Scholar